18 holes with Angels' voice Victor Rojas

Jan. 18, 2011

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Angels TV broadcaster Victor Rojas gets ready to tee off on hole No. 10 at Strawberry Farms Golf Course in Irvine. Click on the photo for more on Rojas and his day on the links.To see all the Angels' photo galleries, click here.TEXT AND PHOTO BY DAN WOIKE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

A number of sports greats have walked through the doors at Strawberry Farms, which was developed by former Angels third baseman Doug DeCinces. Last Friday, they were stuck with me and Rojas -- and neither of us signed a glossy photo.To see all the Angels' photo galleries, click here.TEXT AND PHOTO BY DAN WOIKE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Rojas is an avid golfer, and Friday, he was testing out a new putter he recently purchased. In this photo, Rojas tees off on one of Strawberry Farms' par 3's.To see all the Angels' photo galleries, click here.TEXT AND PHOTO BY DAN WOIKE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Rojas has always been candid with his thoughts about the Angels and baseball as a whole, using his Twitter account (@VictorRojas29) since his time with the MLB Network.To see all the Angels' photo galleries, click here.TEXT AND PHOTO BY DAN WOIKE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Rojas and his on-air partner, former pitcher Mark Gubicza, have a real friendship off the field, knowing each other before they started working together in 2010.To see all the Angels' photo galleries, click here.TEXT AND PHOTO BY DAN WOIKE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Rojas, a former professional baseball player, is also an athletic presence on the golf course. He's a big hitter off the tee, out-driving his less-talented playing partner on a regular basis.To see all the Angels' photo galleries, click here.TEXT AND PHOTO BY DAN WOIKE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Strawberry Farms also hosts weddings, although it's unclear whether the state will honor the pending union between Rojas and his new putter. At least six times during the round, Rojas said, "Man, I love this putter."To see all the Angels' photo galleries, click here.TEXT AND PHOTO BY DAN WOIKE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Angels TV broadcaster Victor Rojas gets ready to tee off on hole No. 10 at Strawberry Farms Golf Course in Irvine. Click on the photo for more on Rojas and his day on the links.To see all the Angels' photo galleries, click here.TEXT AND PHOTO BY DAN WOIKE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Q: What was your favorite part of your first year working with the Angels?

Rojas: It was getting the opportunity to move back into play-by-play after working for MLB Network and doing it with a team I grew up rooting for.

Q: Which Angels player will have the best bounce back season and why?

Rojas: Of the guys that struggled I'd say Bobby Abreu's the guy I'd hope would be bouncing back to normal just because his overall career numbers would suggest it.

Q: You interact with a lot of fans on Twitter. What do you enjoy most about being active there?

Rojas: I like being able to shoot the breeze with people that have similar interests. Most of the people that follow my Twitter account are baseball fans and it makes it a lot easier to carry on "conversations" because of that common bond.

Q: What hurts more, losing Carl Crawford or Adrian Beltre?

Rojas: At the dollars they both signed for, neither from my point of view.

Q: How did growing up in a baseball family shape your opinions of the game?

Rojas: It's not only growing up in the game but also having worked in just about every capacity. I put myself in situations that allowed me to learn the different aspects of the game. I think growing up in it I developed the love for the game...it's all the other things (player, coach, general manager at the minor league level, negotiating, marketing, sponsorships, broadcaster) plus the fact I'm a student of the game that allows me to not only share an opinion, but also feel confident in what I'm saying.

Q: Best movie you've seen in the last 3 months?

Rojas: The Fighter...Christian Bale was terrific.

Q: If you weren't a broadcaster, what would you be doing?

Rojas: Flipping burgers at In-N-Out. In all seriousness, probably something in baseball that would have put me on the path to becoming a General Manager.

Q: What did you see in Jered Weaver last year that has you convinced he's a true ace?

Rojas: I saw a guy who kept saying he's wasn't an ace and then acted like one, on and off the field. I believe you can tell a lot about individuals when they're thrust into the spotlight, in this case, staff "ace." Jered embraced everything about it and took his game to a different level.

Q: Let's talk catchphrases. How do you come up with them?

Rojas: Beats me...I just say what comes to mind. That being said, I have no idea how I've never cussed on air – it's amazing with the clubhouse vocabulary that I posses. My mother-in-law is amazed as well.

Q: With the rosters in their current condition, can the Angels win the AL West?

Rojas: Can they win the West? Sure. Why not? You can't get caught up in the hype of the media of who "won" or "lost" the off-season. I've never seen Bud Selig hand out a World Series trophy for the best off-season team. I was at MLB Network a year ago, and I can guarantee you that there was absolutely NOBODY picking the San Francisco Giants to win the West let alone the World Series. Last year's sexy pick was the Seattle Mariners – how'd that work out?

Q: Where does being the play-by-play voice of the Angels rank in terms of your broadcasting aspirations?

Rojas: I couldn't ask for a better situation. My old man worked for this franchise for 10 years, I got to bat boy for the team when they came through Kansas City, I played in its Minor League system – just a lot of personal connections for me.

Q: If you were the commissioner for one day, what changes would you make?

Rojas: I don't know if I could accomplish everything I'd want to do in one day but these are the things I'd be working on: One, get rid of Interleague games. Two, add the DH to the National League. Three, re-establish American League & National League umpiring crews, as well as have system in place where umpires could be sent down to minors based on evaluations, just like players). Four, fix All-Star week so everyone has four days off and maximize exposure (put Futures Game on Monday, Home Run Derby on Tuesday, All Star Game on Wednesday and universal off day on Thursday for travel) so all events are in prime time. Five, allow teams to trade draft picks. Six, tweak revenue sharing. I could go on.

Q: What's on your DVR? Your iPod?

Rojas: I record Modern Family, CSI Miami, Boardwalk Empire, Entourage, Man vs. Food on my DVR, to name a few. On my iPod I have an eclectic collection. Zac Brown Band, 3 Doors Down, Shinedown, Kings of Leon, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Willy Chirino. It all depends on my mood.

Q: You saw the 2010 Angels as much as anyone not in uniform. What was the team's single biggest deficiency?

Rojas: Execution of fundamentals.

Q: What's your favorite ballpark in the majors and why?

Rojas: PNC Park in Pittsburgh. It's an incredibly beautiful ballpark that sits on the river with the Roberto Clemente Bridge just beyond the outfield wall and the city skyline behind it. Funny thing is it's one of the worst broadcast vantage points in baseball (Nationals Park too). It's like being in a blimp at a golf tournament; it's that high.

Q: How do you see the bullpen roles shaking out in 2011?

Rojas: I see the youngsters continuing to develop. I really like what I saw in Jordan Walden...future closer. With the addition of the two lefties, I wouldn't be surprised to see more defined roles going into the year.

Q: 2011 World Series prediction as of today?

Rojas: I'm not an idiot. Angels vs. a National League team. What'd you expect me to say?

Q: Which Angels prospect are you most excited to see play and why?

Rojas: Kenny Powers. Oh wait, he's not with the Angels – my bad. Mike Trout. Just can't wait to see him live and in action.

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